This invention relates generally to engine controls and more particularly to transmitting engine control data.
Gas turbine engines are used for a wide variety of aeronautical, marine and industrial applications. Generally, a gas turbine engine includes a compressor that provides pressurized air to a combustor, wherein the air is mixed with fuel and the mixture is ignited for generating hot combustion gases. These gases flow downstream to a turbine section that extracts energy therefrom to drive the compressor and provide useful work.
Pulse detonation engines have also been proposed for many such applications. A pulse detonation engine uses an intermittent combustion process to create a temperature and pressure rise by detonating a flammable mixture. A pulse detonation engine is typically a tube of a specified length that is open at the aft end and includes some sort of valve device at the front end to keep the detonation process from traveling forward. A charge of air and fuel is fed into the tube through the valve, and the valve is then closed. Detonation of the fuel-air mixture is initiated by an igniter located in the tube, and the resulting detonation shock waves travel down the tube, raising both the temperature and the pressure of the products. The combustion products are expelled out of the open aft end, creating a pulse of forward thrust. When the shock waves have reflected within the tube to the appropriate conditions, a new charge is fed into the tube through the valve and the cycle repeats. It is generally desirable to generate pulses at a high frequency to produce smooth, nearly steady state propulsion.
These and other types of engines, particularly when used to power marine or aircraft, typically include an engine control unit (ECU) that contains software for controlling the engine and monitoring its performance. Periodically, software updates need to be uploaded into the program memory of the ECU. Current ECUs also contain maintenance logic that detects engine and aircraft faults. When an event occurs, engine and aircraft data are collected in a report that is stored in the ECU's memory. These reports are subsequently downloaded for use by ground personnel.
There are two current approaches to uploading and downloading engine control data. The first approach involves connecting a portable software loader to the ECU. A portable software loader is a conventional piece of hardware that includes a magnetic disk drive. To upload software updates, a disk containing the software to be loaded is inserted into the disk drive, and the software is transferred to the ECU's program memory via the connection to the ECU. To download fault reports, certain command signals are sent to the ECU, causing the fault reports to be transmitted from the ECU to a disk inserted in the portable software loader.
The second approach involves establishing a link between the ECU and an aircraft software loader. An aircraft software loader is a device that is installed on some newer airplanes. Although primarily used to update navigational databases, an aircraft software loader can also be used to update the ECU software. In which case, a disk containing the software to be loaded is inserted into the aircraft software loader's disk drive, and the software is transferred to the ECU's program memory via data buses between the aircraft software loader, the aircraft's data processor unit, and the ECU. Fault reports can also be transmitted from the ECU to a disk in the aircraft software loader via the same data buses.
There are logistical problems associated with both approaches. The first approach requires the engine cowlings to be opened in order to get access to the engine-mounted ECU. This approach may also require use of a power supply and other equipment to support the operation of the portable software loader. This approach can be time consuming because a stepladder is often needed to connect cables to the ECU. While the second approach does not require the engine cowlings to be opened, some equipment on the aircraft has to be powered and operational for data to be transferred between the ECU and the aircraft software loader. Furthermore, not all aircraft have an aircraft software loader installed, and of those that do, not all of the aircraft software loaders are linked to the ECU. Both approaches suffer from the fact that software loaders can fail to operate under extreme temperature conditions due to disk drive limitations.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a means for uploading and downloading data to and from ECUs that overcomes the drawbacks of the current approaches.